


Four Letters and Ends With a K

by late_bloomer



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Emotionally Constipated Erik Lehnsherr, Erik Lehnsherr Being an Idiot, Erik Lehnsherr Has Feelings, Erik Lehnsherr Has a Crush, Erik Lehnsherr Loves Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr is a Sweetheart, Erik Logic Is The Best Logic, Jealous Erik Lehnsherr, Lawyer Charles Xavier, Lawyer Erik Lehnsherr, M/M, Mutual Pining, Smitten Erik
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24329674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/late_bloomer/pseuds/late_bloomer
Summary: Let it be known that Erik Lehnsherr, LL.B, is a master strategist, not deterred easily and adept in gathering information to win a case.Let it also be known that he might be a little (or a lot, really) in love with his colleague Charles Xavier, LL.B.So when he overheard and learned a very important clue about Charles’ object of affection, he vowed to do everything to find out who it is.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Comments: 12
Kudos: 107





	Four Letters and Ends With a K

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! It is my first time to post my work here and I am quite nervous. :D I love reading stories about Charles and Erik and they are by far one of my favourite OTPs. :)
> 
> This has been in my computer since last year and it was inspired by my own silly little crush on one of my co-workers who makes an appearance here. When I realized the similarity between his and Erik’s name, I decided to make a story out of it (Cherik, of course!). 
> 
> This is by the way a Lawyer AU and Rated T (just to be sure) because of some words that I think may not be appropriate for General Audiences.
> 
> So here it is. This is unbeta’d so all mistakes are mine. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I had writing it.
> 
> Thank you very much!

Erik did not mean to eavesdrop.

It was Monday morning and Erik needed that first cup of caffeine in his system if he was to function the whole day. Being a lawyer in a mid-sized law firm in a big city meant a great deal of pressure and a massive pile of work, and therefore, a lot of coffee. Unfortunately though, when he arrived in the office cafeteria, he already heard voices that were too cheerful for his own liking. 

It was not in his nature to listen in to people’s conversations because for him, most of them are just mindless chatter. So no, Erik is not that kind of person.

But this one though—this one was different.

This involved a certain blue-eyed, brown floppy-haired, and devastatingly handsome lawyer who Erik may be hopelessly in love with: Charles Francis Xavier, LL.B.

Charles Xavier is Erik’s colleague and he may be the best thing to Erik since his mother’s cooking (That may be the worst comparison ever but you get the picture).

Charles feels like home.

Now you see why this was important. At least that’s what Erik’s telling himself.

And if he had to listen to this exchange at 8 AM on a Monday morning, then so be it.

Good thing there was a wall separating the main room from where the coffee machine was located so he could stay there while they were talking.

“Ugh! It’s really getting a little irritating to hear Charles prattle on about this silly little crush of his. He goes on and on about how he’s so brilliant, awesome, hardworking, and on top of that devastatingly handsome. Geez!” Raven, Charles’ legal assistant, complained to the group. Erik nearly dropped the mug he was holding. Only a lifetime of reflexes was the one that saved it.

“I know, man,” Sean, the records management assistant agreed. “The other day, I saw him with heart eyes, literally! They were chatting and Charles had this full-on blush and this biggest smile plastered on his face. I was there to give him files for the Shaw v. Frost trial, not to be a witness to his failed flirtations!” Erik couldn’t stand Sean’s voice sometimes but if he’s spewing vital information, Erik will be there to listen.

Okay, let’s stop there for a minute.

So Charles’ crush works in the office as well. And it’s a HE! Erik wondered who may have caught Charles’ eye.

 _And then what?_ A certain traitorous part of Erik’s brain sneered.

 _We have a chance!_ The other part of his brain screamed like a twelve-year-old girl.

“But seriously, what do you think of the other guy? Do you think he likes Charles too?” Alex, the IT assistant questioned. If Erik had any say about it, Alex should have been fired a long time ago. The boy seemed to have the inherent ability to destroy technology instead of fixing them. He couldn’t think for the life of him how Alex was still employed but hey, what does he know?

“Are you kidding me? That guy doesn’t like anybody!” This time, it was Angel, one of the administrative assistants, who made the comment. Erik remembered reprimanding her last week because of the huge mess she made in the report that he requested for one of the clients. The girl just looked at him as if he was the school principal with her poker face on and waited for him to finish his rant. When he was done and dismissed her, she just raised her eyebrow and stormed out of the office. The girl was feisty, Erik will give her that.

“But you know what? I think Charles is the only person he tolerates. I saw them one time and he smiled—all teeth!—when Charles made a joke about science,” Darwin, one of the law clerks, divulged. He was actually one of those people who Erik had no trouble working with. “You know how Charles is with his jokes, right? He did not mind it at all! And that’s saying something,” he continued.

Now this was really getting interesting. So, who’s someone who tolerated Charles’ jokes but apart from that hated everybody?

 _Well, mostly everyone in this office,_ a tiny voice in his mind supplied. It was actually not surprising because that’s part of Charles’ charm. Everyone liked him, silly jokes notwithstanding.

Erik heaved a huge sigh. This was too much for him on a Monday morning.

“I know, I know,” Raven answered. “This object of Charles’ affection is actually not bad. He is just a loner, I think. And yeah, I think he likes Charles too but is just scared to be turned down. We all know how proud he can be,” she snorted after sharing this. And although Erik could not see, he knew that the people in the group gave their assent as Sean muttered, “Yeah!” to what she just said.

Just when Erik was ready to leave and wallow in self-pity (knowing that Charles liked someone was breaking his heart, just so you know)…

“True, Four Letters and Ends With a K is only misunderstood, as Charles always reminds us,” Erik heard a chuckling Alex say. The whole group began to snicker.

“Ah, yes. Charles’s undying hope for humanity and thinking the best of everyone, especially Four Letters and Ends With a K,” Sean butted in, mirth evident in his voice.

Wait, what?

“Goodness, I was laughing the whole time when I heard that!” It was Darwin again. “Truly, subtlety is not one of Charles’ strong suits because that is blatantly obvious! I mean who in their right mind would hear that and not think…” Erik stopped breathing for a while because finally he’s going to know…

But it never came for the whole group started to roar with laughter.

Erik wanted to cry in frustration, rip his hair out, and fling his mug to the wall. Who was this person? He couldn’t just barge in there and squeeze it out of them. No, this one called for his own investigation.

At least he had a clue: Four Letters and Ends with a K. And now, all he had to do was find out _who_.

It wouldn’t be that difficult now, would it?

  
***

  
Erik wasted no time and got to work. There were so many things to consider but at least he had the most pivotal clue (Four Letters and Ends with a K—Erik kept repeating this in his head). He was determined to unravel this mystery before he loses his mind (which is near, he’s sure of it).

He thought about all those employees whose name fell into this category. Lawyer or not, Erik knew a lot about research and unearthing relevant data to win a case. And this was probably the case that would make or break him (Please, let’s hope for the first one, alright?).

Erik was able to come up with The List (yes, Erik believed in the importance of one) with four names on it. He then started checking each potential adversary to Charles’ heart. (Ha!)

First stop was Hank, their senior IT Specialist. Charles and Hank had that sort of kinship over science, exchanging views regarding research articles and scientific experiments. But although this was the case, it couldn’t be him, of this Erik was sure. The way that Raven had been pining (like Erik) over Hank (over Charles) for weeks (for months), there was no doubt that she was in love with Hank. And besides, Charles considers Raven his adopted baby sister and would never do anything to hurt her feelings. It’s like a sibling code or something. So no, not Hank.

One name down.

There was Nick, though. He’s the head of the Accounting Department and appeared to be close to Charles too. However, Erik was not really too sold on this one as Nick was going through an emotional and nasty divorce, and had four kids on child support. Knowing Charles’ belief in saving relationships, their closeness may just mean that Charles was currently helping Nick get his life back on track and suggesting ways to patch things up with his wife.

Scratch Nick then.

Next on The List was Logan. Logan was one of the legal consultants and he and Erik do not always see eye to eye. And when Erik saw one time that Logan was getting too cozy with Charles, Erik knew that he will never like the man. So Erik then asked (not terrorized, come on, give him some credit here) one of the HR assistants, Moira, and was able to acquire information that a lot of people do not actually know. Apparently, Logan’s first name happened to be James and not Jerk or Dick like Erik assumed. Huh, who would have thought? Erik actually almost laughed in relief when he learned this.

Logan was out then (to Erik’s utter delight, to be quite honest).

Erik was at his wits’ end though. This was not going well as he had anticipated. And unfortunately (or fortunately), this meant he only had one name left.

That last person was Mark, the German law clerk. Erik can grudgingly admit that yes, the guy was not only good-looking, he was also smart, if not a bit aloof. Erik had seen him talking to Charles a number of times, laughing as if they were old friends. Charles has that ability—to make people comfortable and at ease, and that was one of the things that Erik liked about him. Mark seemed to be only like that with Charles so this could be it.

As if on cue, who else would come out of Charles’ office but Mark? Charles was there too, following closely behind. Erik ducked quickly behind a cabinet and listened to the conversation. This time though, he had every intention to do so.

“Thank you, Charles. And I apologize again for giving it to you just now,” Mark declared.

“There is nothing to apologize for, my friend. I understand,” Charles replied, his voice thick with emotion.

Mark nodded and patted Charles’ shoulder. But Charles yanked him forward and enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug that also left Mark dumbfounded. And hold on, are those tears in his eyes?

Erik, who was mainly focused on Charles’ face and the hug, only noticed that Charles was clutching something in his hand. It looked like an envelope. What could it be?

“Forgive me. These are tears of happiness, I swear. We should be celebrating your upcoming wedding, not crying! I promise I will be there on Saturday. I am honoured to be part of it,” Charles laughingly explained, wiping the tears from his cheeks quickly.

So now, Erik really felt terrible. Not only did he realize that Charles was in love with someone else, that person was getting married to another! Unrequited love is like poison that seeps into your bones and gradually kills you. Erik knew the feeling so well.

Just as Mark was walking away, Erik emerged from his hiding place and headed to Charles’ office. After composing himself, he knocked on Charles’ door.

“Come in,” came Charles’ answer. He was sitting on his swivel chair, staring at the envelope on his hand, a blissful smile on his face.

“I’m sorry,” Erik blurted out. Upon seeing Charles’ face focusing on (obviously) the invitation to Mark’s wedding, Erik cleared his throat.

“Erik?” Charles gave a jolt of surprise when he saw Erik standing in front of him.

“I’m sorry it did not work out,” Erik uttered sincerely.

Charles’ eyebrows furrowed, undoubtedly not understanding Erik’s line of thinking.

“I mean, I am aware of how difficult it is to know that the person you love most does not feel the same. Believe me, I do,” he elaborated, all the while bowing his head, not sure if he can look Charles in the eye without revealing his true emotion.

Charles put down the envelope on his desk and cocked his head to the side, still unsure of what is happening.

“Whatever do you mean, Erik? Are you alright? Pardon me, but I’m not sure what you are on about,” Charles was biting his lip, clearly confused with the whole scenario. If the situation was not dire, Erik would have kissed him right there and then.

Erik took a breath to compose himself then bravely stared at blue eyes that have been the subject of his dreams all these months. “I cannot help but overhear that Mark is getting married,” Erik started, holding on to that strength before it slipped again.

Charles’ reaction was immediate. “Oh yes! The wedding is this Saturday. It came as a surprise because I actually did not think he will invite me. I was so flattered,” he explained with that bright smile of his. Erik couldn’t help being sidetracked but he knew he had to focus on the matter at hand.

“But isn’t it going to be hard for you? Being there as Mark promises himself to another?” Erik felt like his heart was being squeezed out of his chest.

Once more, the puzzled expression on Charles’ handsome face was apparent. “Why would it be hard for me?”

“Because… I mean, are you not in love with Mark?” There he said it.

Charles’ eyes went wide and his cheeks reddened. “Whatever gave you that idea?” he managed to ask.

“Is he not Four Letters and Ends with a K?” Erik decided that to be blunt was the right way to go.

As if it were possible, Charles’ face grew even redder. Again, Erik had to control his desire to kiss those cheeks.

In an instant though, Charles’ whole countenance changed. A while ago, he looked panicked, features twisted in nervousness. This time, he was gazing at Erik fondly, his lips quirking in amusement.

“Oh, Erik,” Charles replied, exasperation in his voice. It was like a prayer, a plea if Erik ever heard one. His eyes never left Erik’s face, the bluest that Erik had ever seen them.

It’s as if he’s telling Erik something. The way Charles sounded out each letter as a syllable, each phoneme distinct and clear, it was like bells ringing in his ears, meant to shake him out of his stupor.

ERIK.

_Oh._

“Me? I’m Four Letters and Ends with a K?” Erik’s question came out as a squeak. He would probably deny this later but right now, he certainly did not care.

Charles was still blushing and quickly diverted his eyes. Erik however, saw that he gave a small nod. Before Erik could say anything, Charles stood up abruptly and mumbled, “Um, I got to go. I have a meeting with a client. Excuse me, Erik.”

And just like that, Erik was left alone in the office, shocked and stunned beyond words.

Well this alone time made him realize something.

“I am an idiot,” he said to no one in particular.

Definitely.

But not anymore.

With newfound vigour and determination, he smiled that smile with too much teeth (that people told him was comparable to a shark’s) and ran towards his future, ready to take his chance and never let go.

  
***

  
Erik did not mean to eavesdrop.

It was not in his nature to listen in to people’s conversations because for him, most of them are just mindless chatter. So no, Erik is not that kind of person.

But this one though—this one was different.

“Hello, Charles. We were so busy today that I was not able to talk to you at all! How was your weekend?” Raven inquired.

“Raven! It was perfect! I had the most awesome date with this wonderful and amazing person,” Charles enthused. Although he could not see it, he was certain Charles’ eyes were sparkling.

“OMG! Are you serious right now? You wouldn’t say that unless…”

“Have a great night, Raven. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Charles teasingly answered and got out of his office where Erik was already waiting.

“Hi,” Erik greeted him with his own killer (pun intended) smile. He could tell that Raven was watching them but he only had eyes for Charles.

“Hello,” Charles responded bashfully, fiddling with the strap of his satchel bag.

“Are you ready?” Erik asked, moving more closely towards Charles and wrapping an arm around his back. He felt satisfied to see a blush on Charles’ cheeks, wanting nothing more than to nuzzle his lips on them.

“For you? Always,” came the reply. Erik lovingly brushed Charles’ hair from his forehead and bussed a kiss there. Charles closed his eyes as if savouring the moment, leaning in to the touch. Then he flashed his brilliant smile towards Erik and Erik’s heart skipped a beat.

So if someone will ask Erik what happiness is, that’s easy.

It’s Seven Letters and Ends with an S.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> And that's it! I was actually contemplating changing the title because people may get the wrong idea, haha! But I decided to stick with it because I think it fits. :)
> 
> Thank you for reading! Comments are very much appreciated! :D


End file.
